


If Looks Could Kill

by Python07



Series: If Looks Could Kill [1]
Category: Forever (TV), The Musketeers (2014)
Genre: And this isn't his first life., Angst, Crack Crossover, M/M, Richelieu is immortal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-02
Updated: 2016-07-02
Packaged: 2018-07-19 17:23:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7370860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Python07/pseuds/Python07
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post season 1 -- Richelieu is weary and perhaps it's time to move on.</p>
            </blockquote>





	If Looks Could Kill

**Author's Note:**

> The Forever/Musketeers fusion no one saw coming, including me.

“My dear, Cardinal,” King Louis exclaimed warmly.

Captain Treville stomped on the urge to roll his eyes. Instead, he stood still, relaxed and alert. His eyes swept the throne room out of habit. He didn’t, couldn’t look at that man, not after everything, not… He ruthlessly shoved those thoughts aside. He set his jaw.

Richelieu bowed before the King. “Majesty.”

Louis stood and took the couple steps down the dais to meet Richelieu on the floor. He clasped Richelieu’s shoulders and raised him to stand straight. He giggled like a little boy. “I have a surprise for you, Armand.”

Richelieu arched an eyebrow. “Your Majesty is too kind,” he replied graciously. He didn’t bother to glance at Treville like he normally would have done.

Treville bit the inside of his cheek from reacting. His hand rested on the hilt of his sword. He still couldn’t look at Richelieu.

Louis took a step back. He excitedly shifted his weight from one foot to the other and clapped his hands. “Show our guest in.”

Treville looked at the newcomer as a soldier would to assess a threat. He didn’t move but his eyes were sharp. He took in the aristocratic face, dark eyes and hair, the clerical robes, and the almost smirk. He didn’t see a threat but he hated the man instantly.

Louis giggled again and nudged Richelieu. “Father Sextus Aurelian. You were reading his book on Roman paganism. When I asked you about it, you said he’s your oldest friend, but you haven’t seen him in years.”

Treville couldn’t help it. He let his gaze slip over Richelieu. He saw that small smile Richelieu always seemed to use at court, except this time it actually reached his eyes.

Louis beamed. “Welcome.”

“Thank you, Majesty.” Aurelian approached slowly. He bowed to the King and then Richelieu. “Eminence.”

Richelieu rolled his eyes and patted Aurelian’s shoulder. “Enough of that, Sextus. Stand up.”

Treville wanted to grind his teeth. Instead, he stood stiffer and tried not to glare. He kept his focus straight ahead.

“May I call you Sextus?” Louis asked.

Aurelian inclined his head. “It would be a great honor, Majesty.”

Louis was still smiling like he’d won a great victory and maybe he had, considering he’d managed to smuggle someone to court without Richelieu knowing. “Armand told me that you’re a church historian. That must be dreadfully boring.”

Aurelian smiled thinly. “Not at all. We must learn from history’s mistakes so as not to repeat them.”

Louis tilted his head to the side in thought. He stuck his bottom lip out. “Well, I suppose,” he finally conceded. He waved a hand dismissively. “And how long have your known our Cardinal?”

Aurelian looked at Richelieu for a long moment. There was something in his gaze that Treville couldn’t pin down. Now, Treville really hated him.

Aurelian grinned and answered, “All my life.”

Louis laughed. “Then I want stories about young Armand.” He clapped his hands again. “Come. We will dine in the gardens.”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Richelieu led the way through his palace to his private office. Once they were safely behind the locked door, he let himself laugh. It was full and warm. “I can’t believe he brought you here.”

Aurelian joined in. “Who was I to turn down an invitation to see my favorite cousin?”

Richelieu gestured to a seat by the fire and went to pour two drinks. “I’m your only cousin left alive.”

Aurelian accepted the glass of brandy and held it up in a toast. “Despite the fact that our family line ended hundreds of years ago, the statement still stands.”

“Flatterer.” Richelieu settled into the seat across from Aurelian. “It’s good to see you, Sextus.”

“It’s good to see you too, Lucius.” Aurelian sipped. He whistled. “Oh, that’s very fine.”

“I haven’t heard that name in…” Richelieu’s voice trailed off. He shrugged. “Too long.”

Aurelian sighed. “Sometimes, we can forget where we came from.”

Richelieu shook his head. “It’s not forgetting. It’s moving on because we have to.”

“Forward,” Aurelian agreed. “Ever since that day we died with Caesar and came back spluttering to life in the Tiber.”

“Oh, yes.” Richelieu grimaced. “Naked and wondering what gods we’d offended.”

Aurelian swallowed. “I expected Caesar to appear with us, but the Caesar family Triumvirate was down to two.”

Richelieu put his head back and shut his eyes. “Enough reminiscing. It’s ancient history by now. We’ve lived so many lives since then.”

Aurelian sat forward and tapped Richelieu’s knee. “And how has this life been treating you? How do you like being Armand Jean du Plessis, Cardinal-Duke of Richelieu and of Fronsac and First Minister of France?”

“Oh, please,” Richelieu drawled. “That’s such a mouthful.”

“Lucius,” Aurelian prompted.

Richelieu opened his eyes to meet Aurelian’s concerned gaze. “I’m tired,” he admitted. “I’ve spent the last twenty years building France up and keeping Spain and the Hapsburgs out of our business. The feuding nobles don’t help and neither does the fact that the King is an overgrown child with the attention span of a mayfly.”

“You love it.” One end of Aurelian’s mouth quirked up. “You always were an empire builder behind the scenes.”

“I don’t know about that.”

“I do.” 

“That may be,” Richelieu said quietly. “but I’m still tired.”

Aurelian studied Richelieu’s gaunt face and hooded eyes that could never hide anything from him. He suddenly gave a toothy grin. “I noticed your Captain earlier today. I must admit he’s impressive. How did you ever entice such a creature to your bed?” he teased.

Richelieu put his head back again. He closed his eyes. “He’s not my Captain,” he said flatly.

“Did you not see how he was looking at us today? If looks could kill, you’d be pulling me out of the Seine by now.”

“He’s not my Captain,” Richelieu repeated steadily. He swallowed. “He’s made that abundantly clear.”

Aurelian’s smile abruptly disappeared. He went to get the bottle. He refilled both their glasses. “What happened?” he asked carefully.

Richelieu gave in and rubbed his eyes. “Louis ordered me to do away with Queen Anne.”

“What?”

“He said France would be better off if she was dead, that it would be God’s will.” Richelieu lifted his head to see Aurelian. “He was drunk at the time and I didn’t think anything of it. I put him to bed and I thought that would be an end to it. But then, he brought it up again.”

“But the Queen’s pregnant,” Aurelian protested.

“She wasn’t then. Louis has always been worried about producing an heir and a German noblewoman caught his eye.” Richelieu paused to take a drink. He pinched the bridge of his nose to ward off the oncoming headache. “The whole thing turned into a debacle. The Musketeers found out I was involved and I can’t get Treville to speak to me. The Queen knows and she’s four times the politician Louis will ever be. She’s forgiven me but she won’t forget.” 

“Do you think she knows it was Louis?”

“I’m sure she does but it does no good to publicly confront him. I…I’m so weary of this.”

Aurelian stood and circled behind Richelieu. He pulled Richelieu back into the seat and rubbed his temples. “You’ve made France strong and worn yourself out in the process. Perhaps it’s time for the Cardinal to make his exit. Part of the reason I came here was to tell that you it’s time for me to start over again. I hate being a priest.”

Richelieu relaxed under Aurelian’s attention. “I’ve always known that. What are you thinking?”

Aurelian leaned in close to Richelieu’s ear. “I was thinking the New World. Do you want to come?”

“I think I do.”


End file.
